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Dieting & exercise

What aerobic/toning exercise do you regularly keep up with?

(97 Posts)
Shirleyw Tue 08-May-18 17:48:13

Just wondered what keeps you all trim.....

Marmight Tue 08-May-18 18:08:16

I've recently acquired a PT. I got her in a charity auction! She puts me through my paces 2x a week. The best thing she's introduced me to is a webbing 'thing' with handles which slings over a closed door and I can do 'press ups' facing one way and squats and lunges the other without falling over grin. I'm trying to improve my balance and muscle tone and my ultimate goal is to be able to get up from the floor without using my hands (and groaning)

Shirleyw Tue 08-May-18 18:46:17

Thats brill marmight....I recently been doing the workouts from nhs instructor live videos, there are various workouts, 45 minutes long , i find them good......I used to go to a class but they changed it from aerobics to clubbercise and im not struck on that, was a shame as it was just up the road

paddyann Wed 09-May-18 00:07:44

I have a pilates performer and have been using it off an don for years .Used it much more recently for help with a herniated disc.Thankfully it appears to be working and I've cut my pain meds down by more than half.
The physio didn't think it would help and tried to put me off using it,but I've been seeing her an doing her exercises for 6 months with very little improvement.I'll be pleased to tell her she was wrong when I see her next week .

M0nica Wed 09-May-18 06:21:37

Pilates and Tai Chi, both done once a week. Otherwise I lead an active life, walking, gardening etc.

As I have got older I have made a conscious effort to ensure I do exercises of all kinds to keep my flexibility, having seen how restricted my DF became, not because he had severe arthritis, he didn't, but because although he kept active, he lost his flexibility and balance.

Anniebach Wed 09-May-18 08:54:53

What is a Pilates performer ?

I can’t go to classes for anything and now have muscle wastage, legs and arms very weak, self inflicted .

Any suggestions which doesn’t involve getting down on the floor please ?

Hebdenali Wed 09-May-18 09:04:25

Fitness Pilates class once a week, a daily walk for an hour and a half (10,000 steps) and a 20 minute kettlebell workout from a video. This sounds very virtuous and it doesn’t happen every day and if I’ve had any alcohol the previous evening it doesn’t happen at all. I do try to do 2 things every day. We live in a tall thin house with 3 flights of steps and I am very conscious of making sure I run up and down them when ever possible. Pilates is great for maintaining flexibility and kettlebells are amazing. Though I think that you would need to go to a class to start with to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly. I now do (try to do) 20 mins workout before breakfast and have a selection of weights to work with. I am totally onvinced that the years I have been doing this has been the one thing that has maintained my health, strength and wellbeing.

Grannyknot Wed 09-May-18 09:07:08

I joined an outdoor "Boot Camp" style exercise session once a week on a whim, read about it on a local forum. I was a bit daunted at first because most of the women are in their mid-forties but the instructor is absolutely brilliant at giving me sort of scaled down versions of what the others are doing. Now after nearly a year - I find a can do a pretty good "plank"! (albeit resting on my knees with my legs crossed at the ankles, but with arms fully outstretched). Plus I put in a jog to catch the bus the other day, something I haven't been able to do in years.

I love the variety of the class because we do a series of exercises with short power walks or runs in between each cardio one on mats. The hour passes by so quickly and we carried on right through winter. It is such a motivated group, lots of banter, that helps! grin

Other than that I walk just about everywhere ...

janep57 Wed 09-May-18 09:48:32

Feeling pretty fed up about this at the moment as I had got back into doing yoga and swimming 20 lengths twice a week. Then my knees got absolutely terrible. The left one has not been great for years but now the right one was too painful even to walk to the local shops. I think it was caused by swimming breaststroke from what I can find on-line. Have ceased all exercise for a couple of weeks and knees are getting better. Does anyone have any experience like this?

janep57 Wed 09-May-18 09:49:01

How do I get back to swimming? Breaststroke is the only one I can do.

Coconut Wed 09-May-18 09:54:25

Daily 40 min power walk in the woods/fields behind us, or seafront March which is a short drive away. If I don’t want too walk I have a swingball plus mini trampoline in the garden. I need variety as I get bored ! My daughter “ forces” me to do Boot Camp DVD’s at times too.

LJP1 Wed 09-May-18 10:00:11

Eating a balanced diet and keeping active with voluntary work.

kazziecookie Wed 09-May-18 10:19:52

I have a four storey guest house so loads of stairs and bed making but I still get overweight.
I have been going to SlimmingWorld until this week and have lost 2st10lb but my group has closed.
I really don’t want to be putting it back on again so I am considering joining a gym. I can’t do anything too rigorous as I have Arthritis but it has a pool and I enjoy swimming so I can do some of that.
I shall also try not to fall back into old habits.

lizzypopbottle Wed 09-May-18 10:35:27

Walk to the corner and back. Walk a bit further. Get a dog, or walk someone else's? If possible find some slopes to walk up and down. Stand up straight. Sit up straight. Get some hand weights. The internet has exercise guides for using them. Or use cans of beans and progress to weights. Body weight calisthenics is also good i.e. supporting your own weight in various ways e.g. squats, lunges, press ups, plank. Use one hand to screw a sheet of newspaper into a ball. You can use the same sheet over and over. Use the stairs, avoid lifts and escalators. Shop locally and often, if you can, and walk there and back carrying your shopping. A backpack is good for that. Stand rather than sit. Do more housework. Work in the garden. Start small and increase slowly. Take up a group activity but don't compete with anyone but yourself!

Lindylo Wed 09-May-18 10:39:18

I go to a weekly dance class tailored to the over 50s. It's great and there's a lot of fun and laughter which makes it a pleasure to go.

Kim19 Wed 09-May-18 10:39:34

My good fortune is the 8:16 practice. Was introduced to it here (thank you) and my eating practice is snacking whenever I want within these times and if I have a lovely lunch out - which I do regularly - that's it for the day. Took a minute to get started but now is my way of life. Love it and totally painless. Weigh myself daily and am one very happy bunny at long last.

vickya Wed 09-May-18 10:55:23

I do the tai chi form, having been to various classes over many years, and I can now remember the 24 step form and do it alone. I also do some work in a health club with weights to improve muscles and I walk on a treadmill for 20 minutes while reading from the kindle smile. It's boring otherwise. I then swim for half an hour or so. We've got a dog too, who need s to walk, but we're both arthritic, so how long the walk is depends how we are.

Anniebach. you can look at tai ch, the 24 step, in you tube. There are various teaching videos that explain it. It is good for balance and gentle movement and I am usually very creaky in the morning but better after I do the form a few times. Things I can't do normally somehow work in the form.

There are many teaching videos but try this
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0tIcxMcm4E

You only do a bit at a time to begin with. Any little bit is good for you. Also chi Gun is loosening exercises.

These are genttle
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLct1y6Qdok

There are others to try online.

pinkjj27 Wed 09-May-18 11:23:46

Bums legs and tums on a Monday zumba on a Tuesday I walk everywhere , never use the lift always the stairs and I try and move where ever I can with a healthy diet, I would love to swim but I saw a close friend drown when I was 18 and
I cant even watch any kind of swimming scene on tv without having a panic attack.

Meta Wed 09-May-18 11:24:56

I now do aqua aerobics several mornings a week- brilliant for giving a workout whilst protecting joints. One of our instructors said you burn thirty percent more calories in water! I also find the music uplifting and the company good.

Omaoma57 Wed 09-May-18 11:49:31

I joined a gym and go daily and do something! Aqua, dance, yoga, pilates, barre, gym work...and i walk...retirement is wonderful!

Barbiebell Wed 09-May-18 12:04:14

Kim19 what is the 8:16 practice? sounds interesting

humptydumpty Wed 09-May-18 12:19:03

Very keen to get rid of my spare tyre - can anyone reccomend and exercise for that, please, ladies?

mostlyharmless Wed 09-May-18 12:57:29

Tai Chi for me too - I love it!
I started with five minutes a day, and now do ten or fifteen daily in the garden if the weather allows. Lots of YouTube videos to choose from all slightly different but same sort of movements. Vickya’s second link above looks easy to follow.
I found it easier to remember the sequence when I used a tutorial which gave names for each movement (e.g. pushing back the tide, caressing the moon, hugging a tree etc).

inishowen Wed 09-May-18 13:16:53

I've been doing Pilates for about 20 years. I dread to think what I'd be like without it. I'm overweight and have to endure my class with tiny slim women!

Barmeyoldbat Wed 09-May-18 15:34:20

Cycling, mostly on the cycle trails in Wales. Cycle about 13 miles twice a week and walk up and down the hill to the shops. Also keep busy so I am not tempted to snack.